


Blue Monday

by leia_scott



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: AU, Explicit Language, Major Original Character(s), One Shot, Original Character(s), for a very dear friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 14:17:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7577317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leia_scott/pseuds/leia_scott
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jace and Emma spend a tranquil moment reflecting on life after returning from a recent deployment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blue Monday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [A_c_e](https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_c_e/gifts).



> Featured OC's:  
> Emma (my OC) (kazuhiradarling.tumblr.com)  
> Jace (kelz313.tumblr.com)
> 
>  
> 
> For my wonderful, wonderful friend BitterLittlePastry (kelz313.tumblr.com) as a (very) late birthday present. Jace is such a sweetie and I love him so much.

 

_September 1984. Seychelles Waters._

 

         Jace felt a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth as the blue sky slowly melted into a warm pink hue. It was his first genuine smile in… well… a long time. The warm breeze skipped over the waves and tousled a few loose strands of his brunette hair, causing him to brush them out of his face for what seemed like the hundredth time. The woman that sat next to him laughed gaily, the sunlight bouncing delicately off of her auburn curls as they danced in the wind.  
        They had been sitting here for the past hour or so since they had come back from their unit’s most recent deployment. As soon as the helicopter touched down they had thrown their bags and equipment together into a pile before sitting down on the edge of the landing pad, dangling their feet over the side as their conversation jumped from what food they had been craving the most, to the latest in American sports, and everywhere in between. Most recently the topic had come to Emma’s birthday, which they had celebrated that morning with some choice MRE’s that they had saved specifically for the occasion. The rest of the unit was close to passing out from heatstroke but they all managed to squeeze out a cheery verse of “Happy Birthday” before falling back asleep in the shade of the only tree they could find for a mile at least. It was pretty depressing, really. At least she got to spend the last few hours of it on Mother Base.  
        “But the question is,” he said, chuckling, “Do you _feel_ twenty-seven? Jesus christ, we’ve gotta check you into a retirement community now or something.”  
        Emma laughed even harder, punching his shoulder playfully as she shook her head. “You’re no spring chicken yourself.”  
        Jace gasped over-dramatically, feigning offense. “I beg your pardon!” It was true, though. He was only a year behind her and he wasn’t getting any younger. But at the same time it seemed like his life was only just beginning… like this was his true calling and the past twenty-five years of his life had all been such a waste. He knew they weren’t, but at the same time…  
        _They weren’t, were they?_ The number of things he regretted greatly outnumbered the number of things that he was proud of. He was trying best to make up for the sins of his past, but what if he only dug himself deeper into this pit of regret and self-loathing?  
        Emma’s laughter slowly died down and he could tell the same thoughts were plaguing her mind as she looked pensively out over the sea.  
        “Did you ever see yourself being here?” he asked quietly.  
        Emma smiled. “Not in a million years.”  
        “Do you think…” Jace paused momentarily. In the past few months Emma had become like a sister to him, but there were still times when he was afraid he would say something that might cross a line. He put on an air that he never really cared about others’ feelings, but Emma’s… He really _did_ care about hers. He rephrased the question. “Do you see yourself having a better life somewhere else? _Doing_ something else?” Her slight wince would have gone unnoticed to anyone else, but Jace caught it and immediately regretted asking.  
        Her smile had disappeared completely and she looked over her shoulder at Commander Miller, who was overseeing an inspection of another unit. His shouts were carried away by the wind but every once in a while Jace could make out an occasional swear as the quick-to-anger Commander spotted another recruit who hadn't laced their boots properly. Emma turned back around and looked down at her own feet as she kicked them out over the side of the platform.  
        “All the time,” she said softly.  
        “I’m sorry, Emma, I didn’t mean-”  
        “I was going to be a lawyer, Jace. _How the hell_ did I end up here? I could be working for my dad’s stuffy law firm right now, defending more crummy politicians than good people.” She sighed. “But maybe I _would have_ been happier. I don’t know.”  
        Jace was genuinely surprised. “A lawyer? Like, law school and everything?”  
        “Well,” Emma chuckled. “Two years of it. Before I left for Africa.” She smiled sadly as she recounted old memories. “An explorer. That’s what I wanted to be. You know, the ones you always see in cartoons, with the little explorer hat and kaki shorts.” She turned to Jace. “What about you?”  
        A wave of nostalgia washed over him and suddenly he was a kid again, tinkering with the motorcycles in his grandfather’s shop.

 

*****

 

_November 1974. Sitka, Alaska._

 

        Jace bit his lip in concentration as he tightened the last bolt. _There._ He set the wrench down next to him on the cool concrete floor and scooted back on his rear to admire his handiwork, smearing grease along his already oil-streaked overalls. Saturday morning cartoons buzzed through the TV set in the corner of the garage, but Jace couldn’t be bothered to pay any attention to the fuzzy black-and-white cartoon characters when there was a beautiful baby blue Harley sitting in front of him, its fenders glistening beautifully under the flickering shop lights. He had never wanted anything more than he wanted this bike right now. He wanted to ride it down an old dirt road, kicking up dust behind him as the engine growled under his touch. He wanted it to be _his._  
        He slowly stood, still enraptured by the sight, and mounted the bike, closing his eyes as he felt the hand-stitched leather handles under his fingers. He wanted to ride it away. Far away from all this. From _everything._ He could leave it all behind in a streak of burnt rubber from the back tire. That would be his goodbye note. Nothing more, nothing less.  
        He heard footsteps upon the gravel outside and quickly dismounted, scrambling to pick up the tools he had left on the floor as the door opened.  
        “Jace? That bike better be done by now. You’ve had the whole fucking day to finish it.”  
        Jace could hear the slurring of his grandfather’s words and he knew the old man was drunk again. He stood, his arms full of tools.  
        “Yes, sir. I just finished.”  
        His grandfather grunted and came over, looking over the Harley with narrowed eyes.  
        “Oil changed?”  
        “Yes, sir. Tire pressure checked, too.”  
        The old man grunted again and took a swig from the bottle he held, wiping his mouth and spinning on Jace.  
        “Then what the hell are you still doing here? _Out,”_ he snapped, jerking his head towards the door.  
        “Yes, sir.” Jace sorted the tools back into the tool box and took his coat from the hook it hung from, slipping out of the garage before his grandfather could say anything else.  
        He trudged through the snow, pulling on his coat and heading towards the garden shed. The clouds were low today, and hid the surrounding mountains from view. He unlatched the door and swung it open, heading straight towards the tool chest and opening it. Inside sat a long bundle. His grandfather never came in here, especially now that he had left Jace to be responsible for the upkeep of the property. But still, one could never be too careful. He took the bundle from the chest and unwrapped the worn blanket to reveal a long polished rifle. _His father’s._ He swung the strap over his shoulder and headed back outside, looking over his shoulder to make sure his grandfather wasn’t watching before heading into the trees.  
        He had constructed a small firing range far enough into the woods that his grandfather would never be able to tell the difference between Jace’s shots and an ordinary hunter’s. He would go up to his little firing range whenever he had the time... sometimes in the dead of night when he should have been sleeping. His eyes would strain against the dark forms of the trees at first, but eventually they would adjust. Good night vision was essential to becoming a good marksman. And that’s exactly what he wanted to become. But not just _good._  
        _The best._  
        He found the little clearing and looked around to make sure his targets were still in place before staking out a decent spot at the top of the hill. He cleared the snow away with his foot before laying down and setting up the rifle.  
        He had two passions in life. Bikes, and this gun. It was kept in peak condition, with only a few scratches along the barrel that he had tried on numerous occasions to buff out. But he could at least take comfort in knowing that those were already there when his father gave it to him.  
        He set the timer on his watch and timed himself as he prepped and loaded the gun, beating his last time by a few seconds. Still not where he wanted it, but he was making progress. He rested his cheek against the stock, closing his non-dominant eye as he took aim at the first target. He held his breath and let the tension leave his body as he squeezed the trigger, the shot echoing through the trees. He couldn’t tell from this distance if he had made it close enough to the center, but he would check once he had gone through the other targets.  
        By the time he had cycled through and checked each target several times it was already beginning to get dark. Satisfied with his accomplishments for the day, he slung the gun over his shoulder and headed back down towards the house. When he got home it was almost completely dark, and he put the rifle back in the shed before going inside. He intended to go in quietly, but his grandfather was waiting for him in the kitchen.  
        _“JACE!”_ He barked. “Where the hell have you been?”  
        “I was just-”  
        Suddenly his grandfather reached forward and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. Jace could smell the alcohol in his breath. “You’d better not be lying, boy. You’ve been shooting off that gun again, haven’t you?”  
        “I-” How did he know? “I- I mean…” He stammered.  
        The old man shook his head and shoved Jace backwards, causing him to fall onto the hard floor. “You…” He said, pointing a shaking finger at him. His eyes were bloodshot and glazed-over. “You’re going to end up a war-hungry, blood-thirsty animal. Just like your old man.”  
        Jace jumped to his feet, anger rising in his chest. _“How could you say something like that?!”_ He shouted, surprised at the intensity of his own voice. He was tempted to strike out against his grandfather, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not in this state. The old man was drunk half to death and could barely stand on his own two feet.  
        Instead Jace held his tongue, turning and heading up the stairs. He would be the bigger man today.  
        _“COME BACK HERE, BOY. I’M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU.”_  
        Jace ignored his grandfather’s words and reached the top of the stairs, heading towards his room and closing the door behind him. At this point the old man was yelling more to himself than to anyone else.  
        Jace sat down on the foot of his bed and picked up the stack of letters that sat upon it. Letters that his father had written. He never knew when to expect them, but there was nothing quite like opening the mailbox to find another letter from him, written in that same blocky handwriting that Jace knew so well.  
        _War-hungry, blood-thirsty animal._ That description just didn’t fit the bill. The father Jace knew was kind and gentle, yet strong-willed. Jace would strive to be the same way someday. He was going to carve out his own place in this world, and he wasn’t going to take guff from anyone.  
        He didn’t care how long it took him. He was going to be the best he could be. And even then, he would _still_ strive to be better. Nothing… _no one_ … was going to keep him from that.

 

*****

 

        Jace smiled sadly as the memory passed before his eyes.  
        “I’ve always wanted to do this. Or… something like it, at least.”  
        Emma threw her arm around his shoulder.  
        “That makes one of us, I guess.” She laughed, and just like that he was snapped back to the present.  
        The present, where a parasite infection was wiping out Mother Base staff left and right and everyone was living in fear. Even the Commander. _Especially_ the Commander. Part of Jace wanted to be back in Alaska, kicking up dust on that beautiful blue Harley. Hell, it was probably rusted over by now, wherever it was. But just the thought of it brought him a little more comfort. He could see the fear in Emma’s eyes, too, and _that_ was what worried him. She always made it a goal to hold herself together in front of the men, but he could see that she was at her breaking point, at her wit’s end.  
        In the past hour they had managed to forget everything that was going on in their lives, just for a few laughs and some good conversation. He wished with all his heart that it could be like this more often. Nothing but the feel of the salty breeze and the sound of a friend’s laugh, Mother Base basking in the warm pink glow of the sunset. A kind of beauty this glorified oil rig didn’t deserve. Not with everything that was going on.  
        They sat in silence for several minutes until the steady click of the Commander’s crutch came into earshot. Emma turned and smiled when she saw him. It was a sad sort of smile, but it was genuine nonetheless. Jace gave the Commander a nod, something he would probably get chewed out over if he weren’t sitting next to Emma this very moment.  
        “Mind if I borrow Captain Ross for the rest of the evening?” Jace was completely caught off guard by the Commanders casualness. He tapped his chest and looked around.  
        “You’re talking to me, right? …Sir?”  
        The Commander sighed and turned to Emma. “Come on.”  
        Jace wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, elbowing her in the ribs.  
        _“Oooh,_ you’d better go.”  
        Emma punched his shoulder again and stood, gathering her gear and following Kaz back towards the buildings.  
        “Don’t stay up too late thinking about the meaning of life!” she called over her shoulder.  
        Jace laughed and gave her a wave. “Happy Birthday, Captain!”  
        He watched her disappear around the corner before turning back to the horizon and watching the sun slowly sink below it.  
        Sure, he was doing alright. Although he was almost afraid to admit that, because he knew that the moment he did, everything would be turned upside down and he’d have to start from square one all over again. That had happened too many times for him to count. And quite frankly…  
        He felt like this was home now.


End file.
